Genesis 37:20

¹⁸ Now Joseph’s brothers saw him in the distance, and before he arrived, they plotted to kill him.

¹⁹ “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to one another.

“Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!”

²¹ When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands. “Let us not take his life,” he said.

²² “Do not shed his blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this so that he could rescue Joseph from their hands and return him to his father.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!”
KJV: Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
WEB: Come now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has devoured him.’ We will see what will become of his dreams.”
ASV: Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, And evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
DARBY: And now come and let us kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, An evil beast has devoured him; and we will see what becomes of his dreams.
BLB: And now come and let us kill him and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say an evil beast has devoured him. And we will see what will become of his dreams.”

ÅB: Kom nå og la oss slå ham ihjel og kaste ham ned i en av brønnene her, og så vil vi si: Et vilt dyr har ett ham opp. Så får vi se hva det blir av hans drømmer.
OTB: Kom nå, la oss drepe ham og kaste ham i en av disse brønnene; vi kan si at et villdyr har fortært ham. Så skal vi se hva som blir av drømmene hans."
B1930: Kom nu og la oss slå ham ihjel og kaste ham ned i en av brønnene her, og så vil vi si: Et vilt dyr har ett ham op. Så får vi se hvad det blir av hans drømmer.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Titus 3:3
For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
Read in context
Proverbs 27:4
Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?
Read in context
2 Kings 2:24
Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.
Read in context
Matthew 2:2–16
asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
Read in context
Proverbs 1:11–12
If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,
Read in context
Matthew 27:40–42
and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”
Read in context
1 Kings 13:24
As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it.
Read in context
Mark 15:29–32
And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
Read in context